Under the Weather

It has been quite a snowy week for many post-Thanksgiving, particularly those in the Central U.S. and parts of the Northeast. Last weekend, a storm system moved through the Central Plains and brought a great deal of snow in states like Kansas and Nebraska. Many in such states saw some pretty decent snowfall totals, with Hutchinson, KS seeing a total of 12 inches. The snow even reached as far south as Oklahoma and Northern Texas, with light snow being reported in both states. As the same system moved east, more snow fell across the Great Lakes and most of the Midwest. Many in these regions, especially those living near the lakes, saw lake-effect snow . This occurred mainly in parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Upstate New York. The snow was so intense in some areas that the National Weather Service had to issue snow squall warnings due to the blinding snowfall conditions, which made travel in such areas very hazardous.   Timelapse video of a snow squall moving through Oswego, NY (video b

*Since it is a holiday week, this post will be entirely forecast-based* It will be a pretty active week weather-wise across the country, with different regions expected to see rain, snow, and severe weather. First, though, let's talk about the rain and the severe weather. Many areas in the South have the possibility of seeing severe weather for the first half of the week. On Monday, the severe threat will mainly be in the Deep South, specifically in parts of Eastern Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama. In these areas, there will be a threat of tornadoes, damaging hail, and damaging winds, with the highest threat for these being in Mississippi and Louisiana. Storm Prediction Center (SPC) convective outlook for Monday, November 20 (image by NOAA/NWS) On Tuesday, the same severe weather will shift eastward into Alabama and Georgia, where the same threats will exist at a lower risk. The areas that will most likely see the highest threat on this day are those in Southe

A ridge of high pressure formed over the Gulf of Mexico, which brought record-high temperatures across most of the Southern U.S. for most of the week. Record highs were reached in states like Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and even as far north as Kentucky. This so-called "fall heatwave" will not last long though, which is certainly good news for those who love fall weather, but not so much for those who embrace the warm temperatures. This will be due to a cold front that will bring much cooler air down south, with some areas in the South forecasted to see temperatures as much as 10 degrees below average, which is quite a stark difference compared to what these areas experienced throughout much of the past week. The front will also bring some much-needed rain to the South, particularly the Deep South, where there is an ongoing extreme drought. Speaking of droughts, there are multiple ongoing wildfires in North Carolina and Tennessee that have been burning for much

A strong and powerful cold front pushed through the U.S., ushering in bone-chilling temperatures for many last week. The front caused temperatures to plummet in at least some parts of the Lower 48 states, with some experiencing their first frost/freeze of the season, even in the South. Some areas even saw record-low temperatures. Also last week, deadly wildfires blazed in Southern California. One wildfire in particular, The Highland Fire, burned an area of just under 4 square miles and damaged or destroyed 13 homes and buildings. The fire, which was in part fueled by the seasonal Santa Ana winds, started burning on Monday and was 20% contained by Wednesday after evacuation orders were placed for thousands of residents living near the area. Firefighters work to put out a wildfire in Southern California (image by Ethan Swope via AP) As of Wednesday last week, some of the residents in the evacuation area were allowed to return home, however, roughly a couple thousand homes and buildings

This week, many in the drought-stricken Central U.S. saw quite a bit of rainfall thanks to multiple weather systems . These systems formed from tropical moisture stemming from the since dissipated Hurricane Norma and multiple cold fronts moving through the U.S. Parts of the Central Plains saw very heavy rainfall, with some areas seeing flash flooding because of the excessive rainfall. Rainfall amounts ranged between 2-4 inches in most areas, with some locally higher amounts. These amounts, in combination with the ongoing drought (which is extreme in some areas), also caused a good portion of the Mississippi River to rise in water level. Although we may still be in the fall season, some in the Northern Plains are seeing their very first snowfall of the season. As of October 26, a winter storm is impacting the Rookies and the Northern Plains. Snowfall totals are ranging anywhere from 2 to 16 inches, with locally higher amounts. The highest snowfall total so far as of Thursday is a whoop

It has been a relatively quiet week so far weather-wise, which is certainly something we can all enjoy and take.  However, that will likely change as we move through the rest of the fall season and slowly approach winter, as the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) predicts that an El Niño pattern will be in place during much of this winter across the U.S. So how will this affect the weather? Well, it's a bit complicated, especially since we are still a couple months away from the start of the winter season. Still, there are some generalizations regarding the impact this pattern will have on our weather. Image by NOAA As shown in the map above, there will be some differences in average temperatures experienced in various regions of the U.S. The northern half of the country will most likely see above-average temperatures for much of the winter, while the southern half may see an equal chance of above, near, and below-average temperatures. Image by NOAA Aside from temperatures though, th